It's been almost 5 months that I'm back staying in Bali again, after 2 whole years living in Jakarta due to some personal and project problems. Going back to my dream island is something that I didn't expect could happen so soon. I was thinking that the soonest I could go back here maybe after another 5 years in Jakarta. But then again, I'm back here!

In the past 5 months I've experienced so many things, much more than I did in the 2 previous years when I lived in Jakarta. It was the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2015 that brought me back. I was pennyless but fortunately a friend offered me a holiday ticket to Bali--and I took it. So I flew to Bali with him and his family, bringing a big suitcase to fit my needs for a month. I was planning for a 3-weeks holiday.

Arriving in Bali, I stayed in Sanur with my ex-roommate. It made me had to go back and forth to Ubud for the first few days by motorbike (because Uber services didn't want to drop me there) and luckily my publisher came from Jakarta to support me with accommodation. My book launching went well and we had fun in the UWRF but we didn't spend the last day in Ubud because my publisher wanted to explore Seminyak.

I didn't go back to Jakarta with my publisher but stayed in Sanur at my roommate's for another month. She traveled a lot back then so the room was entirely mine. I rented a motorbike to get me places and meeting with people. I did some writing, spent hours in cheap cafés all day just to keep me sane. I needed money so I looked for a job.

Then, by early December, I got a job at an art gallery in Seminyak. I thought it would allow me some peaceful time to write when there are no guests (like how I knew it should be at other art galleries) but I was wrong. The art gallery I worked at didn't give me a rest at all. I couldn't write at all and it made me kind of stressed. So I quit the job after 2 months.

I began to regretting having to work at the gallery but when I think about it, the job taught me much about patience, humility, and how to survive when I hit rock bottom. In order to be a leader, first I had to be a servant. And like what people say: when you're down under, there's no other way but to go up. And so I did. Slowly I regained my pace to get up again. I got much better job starting by mid January, so I did a double "full-time" jobs for 2 weeks.

A thing about my new job is way much more than I thought I could have. It allows me to write about anything that I want--anything. And I can work at anytime that I want, anywhere that I could be. It's a mobile job because I stay in Bali while my offices are in Jakarta and Yogya. So yeah, this is the best job that I've ever had. It gives me freedom in any way to do the thing I love the most: writing (while exploring Bali). And though I thought the job is keeping me from finishing my second novel, it is indeed increasing my writing skill and sharpening my senses for the upcoming projects.

I still have discussions with my spiritual gurus. In a discussion he said that last year was a challenge for me. It was a declining path for me as all things went so wrong and I got totally broke in every way possible. November was my lowest point and in December I saw a light--but my actual inclining point started on January. It was all so true of what he said (which he said by early November).

Actually it pains me to know that I have to start over from zero again: work, place to stay, the furniture, motorbike--and even friends (my old ones are now spread everywhere else). Now I had to find everything from zero again, but I am thankful for getting a privilege of having kind friends (new ones too) around me. They lend me their rooms, motorbikes and even some bike rides. Just at the time when I need it, all are provided for me.

Now that I got all the privileges that I "deserve", it's because I dealt with all the difficulties with patience. I got through all the desperation, hard times, stress, bankruptcy and loneliness quite well (yeah I called all of my family everyday to keep me feel accompanied and to get through the lonely nights but I guess it was okay) so I guess it's a "payback" time. So the starting over isn't really bad at all. It just means an upgraded life, in other perspective.

I really am grateful for the life I have now. The past five months had been hell, but I'm so going up and above from now on. And I got travel buddies to accompany me exploring Bali on weekends so it's just getting even better here. Above all, I just want to thank God for giving me lessons and to remind me of being humble all the time. Remember that the road of life is spinning and nothing in this world will remain the same. Be thankful and spread love everyday, I think is really the simplest key to a happy life.